GENTRY — Empire District Electric has conducted a survey of trees growing into power lines in a portion of the Gentry area and will be contacting property owners to request permission to enter properties and trim or remove trees which pose a threat of interfering with power distribution lines and causing future power outages.

Tree trimming and removal will be provided at no cost to the property owners by Wright Tree Service.

According to a brochure distributed by Empire District Electric, trees which must be trimmed are “pruned according to Empire District Company guidelines, which are based on recommendations by tree care experts and organizations such as the National Arbor Day Foundation and the International Society of Arboriculture.”

Property owners with trees and shrubs growing into power lines will be notified of recommended management of the trees or shrubs on the property, which include conventional trimming (a side trim or V-trim; mechanical clearing with tree mowers, trimmers and shredders; herbicide use; and tree removal.

When trees are removed, the brochure says, limbs will be chipped and removed and logs will be cut into firewood and stacked on the property. Stumps will be treated to eliminate regrowth.

Property owners who do not wish to have the cut logs left for firewood may call Empire District to request complete removal.

Tree trimming was delayed because of snow and ice storms in other areas but is expected to begin over the next few weeks, according to Gary Edens, who is coordinating the work for Empire District Electric.

News, Pages 1 on 02/17/2010